With 51 Touchdowns, Peyton Manning Breaks Season Record

Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos celebrates after throwing his fourth touchdown during the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on Sunday in Houston.

Scott HalleranGetty Images

Originally published on December 23, 2013 7:17 am

Throwing his 51st touchdown pass of the season, the Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning set a new NFL record on Sunday.

Manning bested Tom Brady's record for most touchdown passes in a single NFL season.

As ESPN reports, the record pass was Manning's fourth during a 37-13 win against the Houston Texans. The AP reports:

"Denver's Manning did it on a 25-yard pass to Julius Thomas with 4:28 remaining in the game Sunday against the Texans. Just 2 1-2 minutes earlier, he tied the mark with a 20-yard pass to Eric Decker.

"Manning entered the game with 47 and his first touchdown came on a 36-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas in the second quarter, and the second one was a 10-yard throw to Decker earlier in the fourth."

In truth, Manning was just taking back a record he set in 2004 with 49 touchdowns. Brady overtook that record with 50 touchdowns during the 2007 season and now Manning has it again with 51.

As Sports Center tweets, Manning is having an incredible season: During the game he also "eclipsed 5,000 passing yards in a season for the first time in his career." And: "Peyton Manning just passed Dan Marino into 4th all-time for passing yards in a season (5,107). He needs 370 to break Drew Brees' record."